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Thursday, September 1, 2016

Values

I’ve been thinking about how we tend to expose our kids to
the things that we’re most interested in. That we let them in on our own
rituals in hopes that they’ll like them too, that they’ll see something of
value in the things we value.

We take Luca on hikes and outdoors because John loves those
things. We hope he sees the value in nature, in simple, in quiet. That long
walks with the people that matter most to you, matter.

We take him to the bookstore and the library because those
are two places I love the most. We sift through books on trucks and trains and
then sit and drink an iced tea, an apple juice. We hope he sees the value in
words, in learning, in opening yourself up to new things. That reading is a way
to discover the world, and yourself.

We spend time with family, sitting at the table for long,
slow stretches whenever we can. We hope he sees the value in connection and
conversation. That you’ll never get lost if you know where you came from.

We look for ways to travel, sometimes across the country and
other times just to that park a couple of towns over. We hope he sees the value
in choosing the adventure, in going for the experience. That there’s so much to
see and it’s so much bigger than you.

We—all three of us—are at the start of this, to be sure.
There will be so many values—kindness and empathy, forgiveness and
understanding—that we’ll teach and talk about. So many rituals that we’ll try
out and pass down. And throughout, we’ll read books and walks through the
woods, picking up all the sticks and rocks we find along the way.